Video games are our favorite topic at Pixelkin, but we like board games, too. A thread at BoardGameGeek.com investigates how to play board games with teenagers, and what kind of board games appeal to the teen crowd.
Some advice from experienced parents:
- Teens are sensitive to unfair rules.
- Let them select the game.
- Have them invite their friends over to play with your family.
- Don’t go easy on them. They’re old enough to see through it, and it’ll feel patronizing. (My extra advice: It’s okay to help them out when they’re struggling, though!)
- Buy pizza on game night. Everybody loves pizza.
Finally, it seems that the golden rule in board gaming with teens is this:
- Theme is more important than game mechanics.
In other words, go for the war games. Go for the manga characters. Go for fairy princess dreamtown if that’s what your 16-year-old son likes. They’ll be much more invested if it’s a theme they’re already interested in.
(Source: Board Game Geek)
